Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

PROVERBS 7:25KJV
Know the Bible

Proverbs 7:25 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 7:25 mean?

Proverbs 7:25 warns the reader not to let their heart be drawn toward the ways of a seductive or dangerous woman, and not to wander into the paths she takes. The verse is a direct appeal to avoid being tempted or led astray by someone whose intentions are harmful.

In this part of Proverbs, a father is speaking to his son, urging him to stay clear of the allure and traps set by an adulterous woman. The verse uses strong language to highlight the importance of guarding one’s inner desires and choices, emphasizing that the real danger begins in the heart before it shows up in actions.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 7:25

  • לֵב (lev; H3820) — "heart": This word refers not just to emotions, but to the inner self, including thoughts, will, and intentions. The warning is about guarding one’s deepest motivations, not just outward behavior.
  • שָׂטָה (satah; H7847) — "decline": This word often means to turn aside or deviate. The idea is of a gradual drifting or bending away from the right path, not an abrupt change.
  • דֶּרֶךְ (derekh; H1870) — "ways": This word means a road, journey, or manner of life. The verse is not just about a single action, but a pattern or direction in life.
  • תָּעָה (ta’ah; H8582) — "astray": This word carries the sense of wandering or getting lost, often used for sheep straying from the flock. It highlights the danger of losing one’s way morally or spiritually.
  • נָתִיב (natib; H5410) — "paths": This word refers to tracks or routes, often smaller or less obvious than main roads. It suggests that even subtle choices can lead someone off course.

Why Proverbs 7:25 matters

  • Proverbs 7:25 clarifies that the real struggle is not just about avoiding certain people or situations, but about guarding one’s own heart and desires from the start.
  • The verse connects to the larger warning in Proverbs 7, where the father describes the consequences of ignoring wisdom and following temptation, showing that small choices can lead to serious outcomes.
  • By using words for both the heart and the paths, Proverbs 7:25 emphasizes that both inner thoughts and outward actions matter, and that wisdom involves watching both closely.

Where else these words appear

“decline” Hebrew H7847 · used in 6 verses

  • Numbers 5:12 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him,
  • Numbers 5:19 And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:
  • Numbers 5:29 This is the law of jealousies, when a wife goeth aside to another instead of her husband, and is defiled;

“paths” Hebrew H5410 · used in 26 verses

  • Judges 5:6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.
  • Psalms 78:50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
  • Proverbs 12:28 In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

“astray” Hebrew H8582 · used in 45 verses

  • Genesis 20:13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
  • Psalms 119:110 The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.
  • Isaiah 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.